Language Home Programing Ideas

There are 168 hours in a week. If your child is already receiving services from a qualified SLP, that's great. But if your child gets 20-40 minutes of therapy a week, that leaves over 167 hours in which you can supplement what the SLP has been doing in therapy, and increase the value of the therapy sessions. Here are a list of activities you can do with your child to supplement his/her program.

General Ideas

Engage in “self-talk:” while completing everyday routines. Providing your child with the opportunity to hear adults with good language skills verbalize their thoughts will help your child learn to formulate better sentences and organize his/her language better. For example, have your child help with the laundry. During this task you might say, “Okay, it’s time to do the laundry. “First we need to gather all the clothes from the hampers and take them to the laundry room. Then we need to sort the clothes. Then we’ll decide which load to do first and load the machine.”

Daily Reading: After reading a story with your child encourage him/her to retell the story to you or other members of the family. Another option is to ask your child questions about the story. Ask them things like “what was the kids name,” “where did they go in the story,” “what did they do.”

Simon Says: Play a game of Simon says with your child. Take turns being the leader. If this is a very simple activity for your child, add another direction (e.g., “Simon says touch your toes and do a jumping jack”). In this activity, you asked your child to complete two separate directions. If he/she is able to complete two activities easily, next time you play have them complete three.

Sink or Float? Find a variety of items around your home that are water safe and experiment with sinking and floating objects. Talk with your child about each object. Use a variety of language while engaging in the activity. For example, when an object sinks, talk with your child about the object going “under” the water. If the object floats, talk about the object being “on top of the water.” Put two or three objects in the water and talk about which object is “in front” and which object is “behind.” You can also talk about what makes an object float? Can you make an object that usually floats sink?

Who Am I? Take turns picking an animal, a food, a vegetable or a vehicle to be, but don’t tell everyone else. Have everyone else ask you questions (e.g., “what color are you?” “where do you live?” “could I eat you?”) about who or what you are, until they can guess who!

I went on a picnic : Start the game by saying “I went on a picnic, and I brought…” and then name one type of food. The next player repeats this sentence, including the thing that the first person named, and then adds another food. Add one food item each turn, and keep going until the list gets too long to remember! Think of as many variations as you can. “I went camping and I took…”, “I went to the beach and I took…” “I went to the store and I bought…”.

Mimic Me!: Take turns imitating one another. Have your child say exactly what you said. See how many words he/she can remember in a row or how long of a sentence they can repeat before they start mixing the order of the words or forgetting words. Then take a turn saying exactly what he/shesaid.

I went on a picnic : Start the game by saying “I went on a picnic, and I brought…” and then name one fruit. The next player repeats this sentence, but changes the type of fruit. Continue this game until one of the players cannot think of a new type of fruit. You can play this game with any category you can think.

Cards, Cards, Cards : Gather up all those Pokémon cards, hockey cards, Chaotic cards, Webkinz cards, or any other kinds you have. How many different ways can you group them? Can you sort them by team, what they play, what their powers are, their color, or any other way you can think? Are they land type, water type or rock type? How about a group of your favorites, and your least favorite ones?

In the Car Play How many? How many white (or blue or red or black or…) cars can you count? How many semi’s did you pass? How many pump jacks did you pass? How many campers, moving vans or motorcycles did you see?

Word games: play a game with words to help your child expand their language skills. One example is playing the game eye spy using the words bottom, over, under, left, right, front, behind, etc. “I spy with my little eye, something under the table.” Another game is called “who can name more.” This game will help your child learn categories. Pick any category or group and take turns naming items until someone is “stumped.” Some category examples are “animals live on a farm,” “what do we drive on water,” “clothing,” “things you could find in the kitchen.”

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 1

Engage in “self-talk” while completing everyday routines. o For example, have your child help with the laundry. During this task you might say,

“Okay, it’s time to do the laundry. “ “First we need to gather all the clothes from the hampers and take them to the

laundry room.” “Then we need to sort the clothes.” “Next we’ll decide which load to do first and load the machine.” “Now, let’s add the laundry detergent”

Providing your child with the opportunity to hear adults with good language skills verbalize their thoughts will help your child learn to formulate better sentences and organize his/her language better.

This activity can be done anytime you are with your child. You could do this while you are getting groceries, making a grocery list, preparing supper, driving to school, fixing the car, etc. “Talk to yourself” and tell your child what you are doing.

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 2

After reading a story with your child encourage him/her to retell the story to you or other members of the family.

After reading a story to your child, ask your child questions about the story. o Example questions maybe

what was the kids name where did they go in the story what did they do what was your favorite part of the story

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 3

Play a game of Simon says with your child. Take turns being the leader. If this is a very simple activity for your child, add another direction (e.g., “Simon says touch your

toes and do a jumping jack”). In this activity, you asked your child to complete two separate directions.

If they are able to complete two activities easily, next time you play have them complete three.

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 4 -Sink or Float?

Find a variety of items around your home that are water safe and experiment with sinking and floating objects.

Talk with your child about each object. Use a variety of language while engaging in the activity. For example, when an object sinks,

talk with your child about the object going “under” the water. If the object floats, talk about the object being “on top of the water.”

Put two or three objects in the water and talk about which object is “in front” and which object is “behind.”

You can also talk about what makes an object float? Can you make an object that usually floats sink?

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 5- What Am I?

Take turns picking an animal, a food, a vegetable or a vehicle to be, but don’t tell everyone else. Have everyone else ask you questions about who/what or what you are, until they can guess

who!o Example questions may include

What color are you? Are you hard or soft? Where do you live? Can I eat you?

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 6- I went on a picnic:

Start the game by saying “I went on a picnic, and I brought…” and then name one type of food. The next player repeats this sentence, including the thing that the first person named, and then

adds another food. Add one food item each turn, and keep going until the list gets too long to remember!

o Think of as many variations as you can. “I went camping and I took…”, “I went to the beach and I took…” “I went to the store and I bought…”.

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 7- Mimic Me!:

Take turns imitating one another. Have your child say exactly what you said. See how many words they can remember in a row or how long of a sentence they can repeat

before they start mixing the order of the words or forgetting words. Then take a turn saying exactly what they said.

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 8- I went on a picnic:

Start the game by saying “I went on a picnic, and I brought…” and then name one fruit. The next player repeats this sentence, but changes the type of fruit. Continue this game until one of the players cannot think of a new type of fruit.

o You can play this game with any category you can think. Toys Things with wheels Jobs Things we drive Vegetables Things you see in the sky Things with a zipper

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 9 -Cards, Cards, Cards:

Gather up all those Pokémon cards, hockey cards, Chaotic cards, Webkinz cards, or any other kinds you have.

Put these items into different groupso How many different ways can you group them?o Can you sort them by team, what they play, what their powers are, their color, or any

other way you can think? o How about a grouping your favorites, and your least favorite ones?

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 10

While in the Car Play How many? o How many white (or blue or red or black or…) cars can you count?o How many pump jacks did you pass? o How many campers, moving vans or motorcycles did you see?

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.

Activity Number 11

Word games: play a game with words to help your child. One example is playing the game eye spy using the words bottom, over, under, left, right, front,

behind, etc. “I spy with my little eye, something under the table.” The “who can name more” game. Help your child learn categories by seeing who can name

more “animals that live on a farm,” “what do we drive on water,” “clothing,” “things you could find in the kitchen.”

Play any game with your child that requires both of you to use language and talk with one another!

Language activities can be built into everyday occurrences like making supper, driving to the store, going for a walk, or any other time you are with your child. During daily activities, talk and listen to your child follow his/her interest and talk about what they are looking at, pointing towards, or talking about. Talk about what he/she is doing or what you are doing. If you ask your child a question, encourage him/her to answer the questions using complete sentences that are meaningful to the question being asked.